Dectin-1 Activation Exacerbates Obesity and Insulin Resistance in the Absence of MyD88

This work was supported by Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP, grant numbers 11/15682-4, 12/02270-2, 15/18121-4), Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq, Regenera INCT Process Grant 465656/2014-5). JL is funded by the NIH/NIDDK R01DK106210. GDB is funded by the Wellcome Trust and the MRC Centre for Medical Mycology. Open access journalPeer reviewedPublisher PD

Chemical Composition, Antioxidant, Antimicrobial and Antidiabetic Potential of Philodendron Bipinnatifidum Schott ex Endl

Many of the species used in popular medicine do not have their biological activities already proven by scientific studies. Among these species, the endemic South American Philodendron bipinnatifidum Schott ex Endl deserves special attention since it is already in use in popular medicine for inflammation cases, such as erysipelas, orchitis and ulcers. This study evaluated the antioxidant, antimicrobial and antidiabetic activities of extracts of the hastes de P. bipinnatifidum. The ethanolic extract showed a significant antioxidant potential. The ethyl acetate extract resulted in high antimicrobial activity against Streptococcus pyogenes. The most significant biological activity of ethyl acetate extract relates to its chemical composition when compared with ethanolic extract, which showed the highest concentration of bioactive compounds. In vitro antidiabetic activity was only evaluated for ethyl acetate extract, resulting in inhibition of intestinal disaccharidases (maltase and sucrase) at concentration of 500 μg/mL

Rarity of monodominance in hyperdiverse Amazonian forests.

Tropical forests are known for their high diversity. Yet, forest patches do occur in the tropics where a single tree species is dominant. Such "monodominant" forests are known from all of the main tropical regions. For Amazonia, we sampled the occurrence of monodominance in a massive, basin-wide database of forest-inventory plots from the Amazon Tree Diversity Network (ATDN). Utilizing a simple defining metric of at least half of the trees ≥ 10 cm diameter belonging to one species, we found only a few occurrences of monodominance in Amazonia, and the phenomenon was not significantly linked to previously hypothesized life history traits such wood density, seed mass, ectomycorrhizal associations, or Rhizobium nodulation. In our analysis, coppicing (the formation of sprouts at the base of the tree or on roots) was the only trait significantly linked to monodominance. While at specific locales coppicing or ectomycorrhizal associations may confer a considerable advantage to a tree species and lead to its monodominance, very few species have these traits. Mining of the ATDN dataset suggests that monodominance is quite rare in Amazonia, and may be linked primarily to edaphic factors

Scientific diving in Brazil: history, present and perspectives

Scientific diving (SD) is defined as any diving activity that applies scientific procedures to produce subsidies forstudies and technical works in underwater environments. The first report of an underwater scientific study inBrazil dates to the 19th century, in the Abrolhos reefs. Currently, in Brazil, scientific diving has been performedin various areas, from shallow coastal regions to remote and sometimes hard-to-reach places, such as oceanicislands, flooded caves, and icy areas like Antarctica. However, the regulation of SD in Brazil still lacks moreconcrete actions towards an effective and efficient self-regulation that offers physical safety to practitioners andinstitutional safeguards for organizations that use it in their research projects. Thus, this article aims to contributeto a better understanding of this critical issue in Brazil and to serve as a reference and incentive for the trainingof professionals and the development of these activities in the country. It includes: 1) a historical review ofSD; 2) a diagnosis of the training and application of SD in Brazil; 3) the evolution of marine sciences in Brazilfrom the perspective of SD; 4) a review of the use of environmental assessment and underwater conservationtechniques in oceans and internal waters; 5) an analysis of the evolution of scientific diver training in Brazil,including a diagnosis on training; 6) the history and updates of the rules, regulations, and safety of SD. Givenall the potential of diving combined with specific techniques for research, monitoring, and marine and limnicscience in Brazil, we aim to understand the evolution of scientific diving teaching and to outline perspectives inthe country, as it is crucial for the training of qualified scientists capable of performing these underwater tasks.Finally, we present futture plans for the development of this activity in Brazil from the point of view of researchand the labor market

Preclinical characterization and target validation of the antimalarial pantothenamide MMV693183.

Drug resistance and a dire lack of transmission-blocking antimalarials hamper malaria elimination. Here, we present the pantothenamide MMV693183 as a first-in-class acetyl-CoA synthetase (AcAS) inhibitor to enter preclinical development. Our studies demonstrate attractive drug-like properties and in vivo efficacy in a humanized mouse model of Plasmodium falciparum infection. The compound shows single digit nanomolar in vitro activity against P. falciparum and P. vivax clinical isolates, and potently blocks P. falciparum transmission to Anopheles mosquitoes. Genetic and biochemical studies identify AcAS as the target of the MMV693183-derived antimetabolite, CoA-MMV693183. Pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic modelling predict that a single 30 mg oral dose is sufficient to cure a malaria infection in humans. Toxicology studies in rats indicate a \u3e 30-fold safety margin in relation to the predicted human efficacious exposure. In conclusion, MMV693183 represents a promising candidate for further (pre)clinical development with a novel mode of action for treatment of malaria and blocking transmission